T.R.A.C.E.
stands for Text, Reader, Author, Context, and Exigence
Analysis requires knowing who the author is trying to persuade
and what he or she wants the audience to think, do, or believe.
Using TRACE for
Analysis
Sometimes, especially when you're
just getting started writing, the task of fitting a huge topic into an essay
may feel daunting and you may not know where to start. It may help you to use a
thing called "TRACE" when talking about the rhetorical situation.
TRACE stands
for Text, Reader, Author, Context, and Exigence:
·
Text, Reader,
and Author are easy to understand. When
writing the analysis, you need to think about what kind of text it is and what
the author wanted to have the audience think, do, or believe. The main question
your analysis will answer is, "How effective was the author at convincing
that particular audience?"
·
Context means several things: how the article fits into the
history of discussion of that issue, the historical moment in time when the
article is written, and the moment in time when a person reads the article.
·
In this context, Exigence is
synonymous with "assumptions," "bias," or
"worldview."
Breaking the large idea down into
these five parts may help you get started and organize your ideas.
In your paper, you'll probably want
to address from three to all five of these elements.
[To
see Virginia Kearney’s full article about writing a response paper—without my
notes and guidance for our specific assignment—you can follow THIS LINK. ]
Content in blue boxes are the words of J. Dick.
The bracketed content is infused by J. Dick for the
edification of ENGL101 students.
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